1. Field
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and, more particularly, to a refrigerator having an ice-making unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator includes a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, into which cool air, heat-exchanged by an evaporator, is introduced. Below the freezing compartment or the refrigerating compartment is located a machine compartment, in which a compressor and a condenser are mounted. The refrigerating of the refrigerator stores food at a temperature of approximately 3 to 5° C. such that the food is maintained in a fresh state. The freezing compartment of the refrigerator stores food at a sub-zero temperature for a long period of time such that the food is maintained in a frozen state.
Recently, there has been introduced a refrigerator constructed in a structure in which the refrigerating compartment is located at the upper part of the refrigerator to store water, other beverages, and food for a short period of time, and the freezing compartment is located at the lower part of the refrigerator, for user convenience. Also, the refrigerator includes an ice-making unit having a dispenser disposed at the front of a door of the refrigerator such that a user can conveniently take ice out.
An example of a conventional refrigerator is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. US2006/0090496. The disclosed refrigerator is constructed in a structure in which a freezing compartment is located at the lower part of the refrigerator, a refrigerating compartment is located at the upper part of the refrigerator, and an ice-making compartment is located at the upper corner of the refrigerating compartment.
In the ice-making compartment are mounted an ice maker to make ice, a storage space to store the ice made by the ice maker, and a transferring unit to transfer the stored ice to the dispenser. To the open front of the ice-making compartment is assembled a cover, by which the ice-making compartment and the refrigerating compartment are partitioned from each other.
In the conventional refrigerator, however, when the cover, which opens and closes the open front of the ice-making compartment, is coupled to the front of a side wall of the ice-making compartment, the cover is assembled to the ice-making compartment in a forced fitting fashion due to the frictional force of a sealing member disposed along the inside edge of the cover, with the result that the coupling between the cover and the ice-making compartment may be incomplete.
Also, when the cover is coupled to the side wall of the ice-making compartment in a latching structure, it is required that a push button disposed at one side of the cover or the ice-making compartment be pushed to separate the cover from the ice-making compartment.
The operation of attaching to and detaching from the ice-making compartment is performed in a forward and rearward direction, whereas the operation of releasing the latched state between the cover and the side wall of the ice-making compartment is performed in the lateral direction. As a result, it is required that a user perform the two different operations to separate the cover from the ice-making compartment due to the inconformity in direction of the forces.